This invention relates to panel wall systems of the type commonly employed for the display of merchandise in retail establishments.
Commonly, panel wall systems comprise horizontal stringers or channels which are secured to the interior wall of a retail establishment, vertical standards which are secured to the stringers, and planar panels which are secured to the standards. This structure provides the background for the display of merchandise which is exhibited on shelves that are supported by brackets that are mounted on, and which project outwardly from, the panel wall system.
It is frequently desired that a panel wall system be free-standing, that is, the system is not anchored to either the ceiling or the wall of the retail establishment so that the system may be relocated within the establishment without reference to the walls of the establishment. Thus, in free-standing panel wall systems, the system rests on the floor of the establishment. In certain prior art instances, the system is retained against tipping by the structural design of the system, such as through the means of horizontal legs that are attached to the bottom of the panel wall system and which project laterally from the wall system to provide lateral xe2x80x9canti-tippingxe2x80x9d support to the wall system. Such structural members present obstacles to the flow of customer traffic, including the possibility of customers tripping over the lateral projections. In other instances, the panel wall system may be stabilized against tipping over by embedding relatively large and strong posts in the floor of the establishment such that these posts extend upwardly from the floor and serve to anchor the wall system to the floor. This concept is frequently employed when the floor of the establishment comprises concrete. This concept for stabilizing the wall system against tipping requires destructive modification of the floor, is expensive to install and otherwise tends to inhibit relocation of the wall system, a most undesired result.
Free-standing panel wall systems desirably provide for the display of merchandise on shelves which are provided on both the front and rear sides of the wall system. This desired feature of the wall system requires that the panel wall system provide for the support of shelving on both the front and rear upright faces of the system. This desirable feature imposes upon a free-standing wall system the need for enhanced strength to provide stable support of merchandise that rests on shelves that are cantilevered from the opposite surfaces of the wall system. Notably, the overall weight of the merchandise displayed on the shelves on the front surface of the wall system may not be, and frequently is not, of the same or nearly the same, overall weight as the merchandise displayed on the shelves on the rear surface of the wall system. Thus, this factor imposes an even more demanding requirement relative to the strength and stability of a free-standing panel wall system.
Further, known prior art free-standing panel wall systems are constructed of materials which are not fireproof or fire-resistant, partly due to the difficulty of initially installing and subsequent dismantling of the system for movement to a new location within the establishment and again installing the system at its new location.
These and other requirements of a free-standing panel wall system are met, and/or exceeded, by the present invention.
The present invention comprises a free-standing panel wall system which includes at least an elongated floor rail and an elongated top rail, each of a generally U-shaped cross section, and first and second sets of upright standards of generally U-shaped cross-section and having respective side wings that project laterally from the standard, there being one set of standards releasably secured on each of the opposite sides of the floor rail and top rail. The opposite ends of the standards are removably attached to respective ones of the floor and top rails. At spaced apart locations intermediate the floor and top rails and disposed between the standards of the first and second sets of standards there is provided a plurality of horizontal connectors, each of which is removably secured to respective ones of the standards on the opposite sides of the horizontal connectors. In one embodiment, there is provided one or more wall system sections which extend generally laterally of the plane of the main wall system section. Angled bracket connectors are provided at least at the intersection of the top and bottom rails of the main wall system section and the top and bottom rails of a lateral wall system section. The ends of the horizontal connectors of the main wall section are removably joined to respective ones of the horizontal connectors of a lateral wall section in like manner employing bracket connectors. Each standard is provided with one or more lugs projecting laterally from each of its side webs. At least one panel member is provided which is dimensioned to be received between adjacent ones of the standards. Each side of the panel is provided with lugs which project rearwardly of the panel and are adapted to interlockingly engage respective ones of the lugs on adjacent ones of the standards to thereby removably mount the panel between the standards. The present panel wall system may be anchored to the floor of a retail establishment, for example, and is self-supporting without being anchored to either the ceiling or wall of the establishment. In certain embodiments, no anchoring of any kind is required. Preferably, the materials of construction of the present panel wall system are either fire-resistant or fireproof. Cold rolled steel is a suitable construction material for the components of the present panel wall system.